Mental Health Entrepreneurship Accelerator
The Mental Health Entrepreneurship Program is Israel’s first accelerator dedicated exclusively to innovation in mental health. Led by Haifa Innovation Labs (HIL) at the University of Haifa, the program supports both early-stage and advanced ventures developing technological, clinical, and social solutions to improve mental health outcomes.
The program is open to students, researchers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and external innovators who are committed to creating meaningful impact in the mental health ecosystem.
Why Mental Health Innovation?
Mental health systems around the world are facing an unprecedented crisis. Demand for mental health services continues to grow while existing solutions struggle to meet increasing needs.
In Israel, the social and psychological consequences of recent years have intensified the urgency for innovative approaches. At the same time, global trends, including social isolation, economic uncertainty, and rising rates of anxiety and depression, highlight the need for scalable, accessible, and evidence-based solutions.
Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital health platforms, data analytics, and advanced medical technologies are creating new opportunities to transform mental healthcare and improve lives.
About the Program
Haifa Innovation Labs (HIL) at the University of Haifa brings together academia, healthcare, government, industry, and civil society to accelerate groundbreaking mental health innovations.
The program provides entrepreneurs with the knowledge, network, and practical tools needed to validate ideas, build partnerships, and bring impactful solutions closer to implementation.
The current cohort includes 10 promising ventures developing innovative technological, medical, and social solutions for mental health challenges.
What Participants Receive
Participants benefit from a comprehensive acceleration program that includes:
- Expert lectures and practical workshops on AI for entrepreneurship, market validation, customer discovery, business models, partnerships, fundraising, and storytelling.
- Access to Israel’s growing mental health innovation ecosystem.
- Strategic connections with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, healthcare organizations, hospitals, defense organizations, and leading NGOs.
- Personalized mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs, clinicians, investors, and industry experts.
- Opportunities to collaborate with researchers, healthcare professionals, and innovation leaders.
- The opportunity to present their venture at the annual Mental Health Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summit before investors, strategic partners, healthcare leaders, and potential collaborators.
The accelerator runs for 3.5 months and culminates in the annual Mental Health Innovation Summit, a national platform for collaboration, exposure, investment, and partnership creation.
Building Israel’s National Mental Health Innovation Bridge
The Mental Health Entrepreneurship Program is part of the University of Haifa’s broader vision to establish Israel’s National Mental Health Innovation Bridge, an integrated innovation ecosystem connecting research, entrepreneurship, technology, healthcare systems, regulators, and communities.
Our vision creates a seamless pathway from:
Idea → Scientific Validation → Technology Development → Co-Design with End Users → Clinical & Community Pilots → Data-Driven Impact Evaluation → National and Global Scale
By bringing together all stakeholders within a single innovation ecosystem, we aim to shorten the journey from research to real-world implementation while ensuring solutions are evidence-based, clinically relevant, and socially impactful.
Partnership Opportunities
The success of this initiative depends on strong partnerships across the public sector, healthcare organizations, industry, philanthropy, and the investment community.
We invite organizations and individuals to join us as:
- Strategic Partners
- Program Sponsors
- Design Partners
- Mentors
- Investors
- Pilot & Clinical Partners
- Innovation Ecosystem Collaborators
Together, we can build the next generation of mental health solutions and create lasting social impact.
Mental health is no longer a luxury, it is one of the defining challenges of our time.
If you are interested in partnering with us or learning more about the program, we would be delighted to discuss collaboration opportunities and explore how we can create impact together.
